EPA Proposal Aims To Reduce Pollution, Haze At Navajo Power Plant

The federal government is proposing new limits for pollution from a coal-fired power plant on the Navajo Nation, but the plant's owners say it will be costly.

The Environmental Protection Agency's proposal released Friday aims to improve visibility at places like the Grand Canyon. The EPA says upgrades at the Navajo Generating Station in Page would reduce haze-causing nitrogen oxide emissions by 84 percent, or 28,500 tons per year.

The plant powers a series of canals that deliver Colorado River water to Arizona's major metropolitan areas and fuels tribal economies. Conservationists see it as a health and environmental hazard.

The plant's owners would have until 2023 to achieve the proposed limit. They contend they've already done enough to curb those emissions and shouldn't have to invest hundreds of millions of dollars.